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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329357">Cold Hands</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ageless_aislynn/pseuds/ageless_aislynn'>ageless_aislynn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Colder Hearts [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargirl (TV 2020), The Flash (TV 2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:02:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ageless_aislynn/pseuds/ageless_aislynn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jordan is intrigued by the latest scientist hired by The American Dream. He'd like to get to know her a little better. There's just something about her...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jordan Mahkent/Caitlin Snow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Colder Hearts [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ideally, he would know the name of every single employee of The American Dream. He liked to imagine walking through the door, down the halls, into any and all departments, and being able to put a name to every face, to be able to inquire about their children, to know some small bit of information about each one to prove <i>You're important to the company. You're important to me.</i></p>
<p>Sadly, time constraints even more than the sheer number of people employed beneath his banner made that not possible. Still, as much as possible, he liked to stay current with the new hires, to get some feel for each person who was, in their own way, serving to make <i>Project: New America</i> come true.</p>
<p>Which is how Jordan Mahkent came to have the file of the latest employee in the scientific branch of Research and Development open on his desk.</p>
<p>She was beautiful, there was no denying that, but it was her credentials that interested him the most. Her years of work for S.T.A.R. Labs told him she was both brilliant and gifted: Harrison Wells wouldn't have kept her on, much less hired her in the first place, if that weren't true.</p>
<p><i>She stayed with him after he was disgraced,</i> he noted, considering the dates of her employment. <i>Loyal, even when it would've served her own career more to distance herself.</i></p>
<p>There was… something about her. Perhaps it was that loyalty, he mused, studying the picture attached to her file. Perhaps it was a hint of sadness in her eyes that her smile couldn't quite disguise. Whatever it was, it soon had him peering through the window in the lab door as if guiltily trying not to get caught lurking. Though the lights were on, there was no one bustling about inside.</p>
<p>Too late, he noticed the time.</p>
<p><i>Of course, everyone's gone home,</i> he thought and was surprised at his disappointment. He could meet her tomorrow but… He wanted to meet her now. He'd had to be <i>so</i> patient for <i>so</i> long. Was it too much to ask to not have to exert patience yet again over something so trivial?</p>
<p>And then, just as he started to turn away, he caught a hint of motion at one of the desks. Hardly able to believe his luck, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.</p>
<p>"Trying to get overtime already?" he asked lightly as he entered.</p>
<p>She startled but quickly covered with a smile. "I already clocked out," she said, turning her chair towards him. "I wanted a chance to get the lay of the land a bit better."</p>
<p>"Oh, I hope they're not so strict around here that they expect you to be an expert on your first day," he said in a gently teasing tone, stopping so that he didn't crowd into her personal space.</p>
<p>"I <i>am</i> an expert," she said without vanity, "but every lab has its own rhythm. Once I figure out this one, I can be much more productive."</p>
<p>"What was it like at your previous lab?" he asked, not only to be polite but because he was interested in how an employee of the fearsome Harrison Wells would characterize working for him.</p>
<p>Something both wistful and painful fluttered across her face. "It was like a family."</p>
<p>He felt a brow raise, not expecting that. "Then why did you leave?" he asked, tardily tempering it by adding, "If you don't mind my asking? It's just that family is quite important to me. I can't imagine leaving an environment like that if I didn't have to."</p>
<p>"I had to," she said softly, looking down at her hands and flexing her fingers. "My life went through some… changes. I needed to start again."</p>
<p>That was, naturally, in her file. "I understand," he said, advancing under the guise of resting his hip against the desk. Something instinctual made him want to get closer but he also didn't want to come on too strong.</p>
<p>She gave him a curious look. And curiously, there was a touch of fear in her eyes. "You understand what?"</p>
<p>"I lost my wife 8 years ago," he explained and the words tightened his throat as he spoke them. They always had. They always would. "I saw that your husband passed away a few years ago, too. My condolences, truly. There's no pain like losing a spouse."</p>
<p>She ducked her head briefly, pausing to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she said, once more focusing her gaze on her hands, before politeness spurred her into looking up. "And I'm so sorry to hear about your wife. That's--"</p>
<p>Her words trailed off as the information he'd given her suddenly clicked into place. He saw the moment that realization struck and gave her a wry little smile, welcoming her in on the joke.</p>
<p>"You're Mr. Mahkent," she said, pushing to her feet as if worried she was being caught slacking. "I didn't think about it being you, I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Oh, she was charming. There was a bristling sharpness lurking under all of the politeness and uncertainty, he could sense it. It fascinated him, made him want to brush aside the snow to find the ice underneath. <i>I'm beginning to understand exactly what Wells saw in her.</i> </p>
<p>"No need to apologize," he said. "I'm the one who didn't introduce myself. Jordan Mahkent, pleased to make your acquaintance."</p>
<p>"Caitlin Snow," she said automatically, as if he wouldn't have already known that.</p>
<p>He held out his hand and she started to shake it then, at the last moment, drew back.</p>
<p>"My hands are cold," she explained, balling her fingers into fists as if they were weapons that could accidentally cause him harm. There was a mystery there he was going to enjoy uncovering, he could just feel it.</p>
<p>He reached out and caught her hand before she could withdraw further, pressing it between both of his. "Hm," he murmured, "doesn't feel cold to me at all."</p>
<p>On the contrary, when she gave him a more genuine, unrestrained smile, he found that he felt quite warm.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Epilogue</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Jordan opened the door to his office, he wasn't expecting to find a man standing at his desk, studying the file open in his hands.</p><p>"I can see why she caught your attention," the other said without looking up. "Quite beautiful as well as intelligent. You should go ahead and ask her out. Why wait when you've already thought about it at least a dozen times just walking back here?"</p><p>Jordan gritted his teeth. "Get out of my head, Henry. And I'd thank you to leave my files alone."</p><p>Dr. Henry King Sr. closed the folder and handed it to him without a hint of remorse. "I'm merely saying what you were already thinking."</p><p>He dropped the file into a desk drawer and shut it more forcefully than he intended. "I don't need your disapproval," he said tightly.</p><p>Henry folded his hands behind his back. "Why, that's not what I meant at all," he said drolly. "I'm actually here to give you my blessing."</p><p>As Jordan looked skeptically at him, the red-haired man offered a thin, feral smile.</p><p>"Let me tell you all about the good Dr. Snow," he said. "You and she have so much more in common than you realize…"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another "What if?" where instead of ending up working for Amunet Black, Caitlin decided to move to a small town called Blue Valley, where she could blend in and use her abilities for good. Her scientific abilities, that is. She's quite done with being frosty… </p><p>I have a series title for this if we should end up continuing. Right now, I just wanted to let the characters meet and see them interact. *grabs popcorn* ;) Thanks for reading! ♥♥♥</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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